Not mine, instead the awesome lyrics to Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen).
Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '99: Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.

I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded.

But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.

You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself. Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how...

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary.

Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room. Read the directions, even if you don't follow them. Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future. Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on.

Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85. Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

***

I believe that this came from an article in a newspaper originally before Baz Luhrman turned it into a song. Good advice, the lot of it.
( Matazone has new icons, but is keeping this one, Thu 20 May 2010, 13:49, 11 replies)

thankyou for reminding me
and I'm now playing that as I type.

A little bit of nostalgia, a little bit of optimism; just what I think a few of us need right now.
(The Incredible Sulk Finally remembered his password on, Thu 20 May 2010, 13:53, closed)

Yep,
it helped cheer me up a bit today. Rough week, great song and sentiment.
( Matazone has new icons, but is keeping this one, Thu 20 May 2010, 19:44, closed)

wow
cheers for that blast from the past.
(Kip, Thu 20 May 2010, 14:22, closed)

Oh you git.
I was going to post that.
( jim_bob can herd cats., Thu 20 May 2010, 14:28, closed)

Me too!
So much for originality! mAybe sick minds just think alike
(Dr Fishfinger Want's to see a fat man give a tit wank, Thu 20 May 2010, 18:22, closed)

*click*
My word, I'd forgotten that - thank you.
It really is very good.
( sanityclause is waiting until, Thu 20 May 2010, 15:12, closed)

This song has gotten me through some tough times
and I'm sure will get me through many more.

*Click*
(Petite chien is going to do science to it, Thu 20 May 2010, 15:18, closed)

Apparently,
if we take the webpage literally, 'Wear Sunscreen' has now been adapted such that the first piece of advice relates to your Chicago Tribune subscription rather than "the power and beauty of your youth".
(Good old boy just like yer grandma!, Thu 20 May 2010, 22:02, closed)

Not mine, But John Safran's "Not the sunscreen song"
Ladies and gentleman of the class of '98
people often ask me if I have any advice to offer
and when they do, I tell them this:


If you're unsure about what you're going to do with your life
try to remember some of the most interesting people didn't know what
they were going to do at age 22 or even at 40, and nearly all of them are unemployed drug addicts forced to live on cat food.

Also understand that friends will come and go - this is because of your
irritating personality - nobody likes you. So if the only thing getting you through the day is the misconception that people like you - end it now.

(gunshot)

Learn how to smoke Winnie blues. If you're underaged, get an older kid to buy them for you. Get to really know your parents - they're good for money.

Milk them, then put them in an old people's home.

Travel as often as you can. Live in New York City once. Live in northern California once.
Never live in Adelaide - it's a hole.


Maybe you'll marry. Maybe you won't.
Maybe you'll have children. Maybe you won't. If you do have children,
lock them under the stairs.

Do one thing each day that scares you. Sing. Dance. Jump in front of a
car.

Do not trust anyone who tries to update Shakespeare for the kids. And
if you see Quindon Tarver in the street - punch him in the face for me...

Brother and sister, we can be free.
(punching-sound-effect, feedback)

If you're worried about the way you look, try to remember you're
probably fatter than you think. Maybe you should consider an eating disorder.

Don't worry too much about the future. If you're nervous about an exam, ring up your school at the scheduled time and make a bomb threat.

If you're a girl,lie about period pains to get out of anything that you don't want to do. Cheat if you think you can get away with it. Remember, someone with richer parents is getting private tuition.

Shoplift as often as you can. Shopping centres factor shop lifting into
their prices so if you don't do it, it's like they're getting money for
free.

When you're on work experience, steal a cabcharge and take a taxi to
Perth. Wear sunscreen, but only if its that coconut oil that gives you
cancer.

Keep your old love letters. If you see an old lover in the
street, try to run them over in your car.

Don't mess too much with your hair,otherwise by the time you're 35, you'll look like Greg Matthews.

Remember you can wear your underwear 4 times without washing: forwards,
backwards,
inside out forwards, inside out backwards.

Brother and sister we can be free-ee-ee,
Brother and sister, we can belieeeeve, we can belie-
(multiple gunshots)

Congregate in gangs around train stations and shopping centres. It's a
free country. It's public space. Skateboard on war memorials. Smoke in your school uniform. Set off car alarms. Plant drugs on a teacher. Join a cult.

Spike drinks. Don't flush public toilets. Remember, only you will only
truly take care of you - so carry a concealed weapon. Don't wear your P
plates. Walk around with your eyelids rolled back. Touch you tongue on
the tip of batteries. Be open to new love. Remember, you can't get pregnant the first time you have sex.

Expect others to support you. It's easy to get the dole - and still do cash in hand work. Respect your elders. When your grandma dies have her stuffed.

Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when you're kneecapped by a lone shark.

Get revenge. Don't forgive anyone for anything.

But most of all, don't aim too high - You're probably only suited to an office or factory job.

And trust me on the Winnie blues
(unoriginal spluffed so hard it came out her nose on, Fri 21 May 2010, 1:17, closed)

^^^ this
A million times this. I was the class of 99 and this was played at our final sixth form assembly. I'd completely forgotten about it till now, some 11 years later, and by God I wish I'd followed more of the advice in it.

Might have saved me...(I was going to type more there, but actually that sums it up perfectly.)
(quantum raspberry quizzically quashing Quebecans, Sat 22 May 2010, 1:12, closed)

Clicky.
Very, very apt. Thank you for that nostalgia trip...
(Draco Rattus ate all the pies on, Sat 22 May 2010, 17:20, closed)